GOLF

The BUZZard caught up with Kingswood greenkeeper Ivan van Heerden for a brief feedback session on the past season and projects currently on course.

In the previous edition, it was reported that players were getting used to starting on a par 3 and ending on a par 5, necessitated by the positioning of the clubhouse.

This part of late last year’s redesign promoted better flow to the course of play and, if at first the change to tackling the first eight holes before proceeding to the next 10 caused some head-scratching, everyone now seems accustomed to the new regime.

Apart from notes on the course redesign, the gist of Ivan’s pre-seasonal report was that 2025 was the driest year since he took over the greenkeeping reins – practically on par with the previous low of 573mm in 2019. The impact of the drought on Kingswood’s fairways, dams and greens continues to challenge Ivan and his team.

On projects and pipelines

‘The year started well in terms of weather – by the end of February, we had received about 94mm of rain. Unfortunately, the early-March heatwave didn’t help, and by the end of last month we had only measured 28mm,’ he says. At the time of writing, Ivan reported a meagre tally of 31mm measured between 15 February and 25 March.

To ensure that none of the estate’s precious water resource is lost in the system, an ongoing maintenance issue is the fixing of burst waterpipes underneath roads and bridges. ‘When pipes burst, it is often related to the drought, so this is an ongoing battle to ensure maximum supply for the course, come rain or shine.’ During the weeks preceding the opening of the clubhouse, Ivan and his team focused on settling in the greens in its vicinity, did drainage on the sixth, and painted bunker faces. With golfing traffic adding stress to the sunbeaten grass, paving cart paths in preparation for the festive season was an absolute necessity.

‘During February and March, we’ve been cutting lines on fairways and on new catch areas to tighten the mantle and create more space,’ Ivan explains when discussing projects currently on his slab. He adds that a process of stripping, or sodding out, of vegetation on the old tees is also ongoing. ‘The grass left over after stripping is being used to patch up several locations where required on the course. Among these counts the new area to the right of the dam on the sixth, where shrubs have been removed.

Grass has now been planted there as part of the new tee complex. ‘Finally, we are levelling par-three tees in cases where they are uneven, and will be busy with this work for the next four to eight weeks. As is always the case with such projects, it entails waiting for grass to grow out.’ Images on these pages illustrate the task at hand and the progress so far. Preparing at the time of our chat for KGE’s hosting of the HOGA Cup on 10 April, Ivan was confident that the course would be in good nick for visiting golfers. And on the subject of player satisfaction, the man in charge of golfing at the Kingswood clubhouse sheds some light.

Q&A with Kingswood’s golf director

Positive feedback was provided by Golf Director Dean le Vieux, supported by his 2IC Tim Steynberg during the seasonal increase of members and visiting players on the course and at the clubhouse.

The BUZZard: How are the new scoring systems and timesheets working out?

Dean: Members have been adopting the ScoreCapture system with enthusiasm, and we’ve been using it for all our club competitions – it’s working out very nicely. There was a bit of resistance initially, but now almost everyone is using and enjoying it, as it’s proven successful. We have also requested that ScoreCapture start adding different variations or formats of competitions, which members play in diverse groups that they are willing to accommodate.

The BUZZard: Are players responding positively to the GPS units on golf carts?

Dean: The expectation at most clubs today is to have GPSs on carts, and it’s been very well received by members and visitors to Kingswood.

The BUZZard: Are players making full use of the clubhouse and your open-door policy?

Dean: Absolutely, in both cases. We look at the practicality and viability of all requests received. When considering these decisions, we always aim to prioritise the interest of the majority of our residents and members.

In conclusion, Dean is grateful to have experienced a great first festive season at the helm: ‘We have achieved this within our budget, and received lots of good feedback on the clubhouse, carts, staff, and layout of the course.

‘No huge upgrades are imminent apart from ongoing course upgrades. We’re continuing as per normal and considering which changes or additions may be required over the next couple of months, but things are running smoothly, and everyone is doing a decent job.

‘As we speak, Ivan and his greenkeeping team are very busy out on the course to improve conditions and playability. This is a move in the right direction, considering that we aim to get the club into the top 50 in the country. It’s going to take continuous efforts behind the scenes, but with lots of hard work, I believe we’ll get there.’